


Blindfold Quest

by CatacombKittens



Category: Marvel (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22745239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatacombKittens/pseuds/CatacombKittens
Summary: With no precogs allowed on the island of Krakoa, tensions between Mystique and Charles Xavier have grown to breaking point as she's strung along with the promise of resurrecting her dead wife. But she's not the only one who lost a precog lover, and another day of reckoning comes to Krakoa, as David Haller comes to inquire about his own. The two end up on a small quest to find Ruth Aldine and a possible key to resurrecting Destiny.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Irene Adler (X-Men)/Raven | Mystique, Ruth Aldine/David Haller
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11
Collections: Valentine's Day XChange





	Blindfold Quest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sebastian2017](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sebastian2017/gifts).



They knew he was coming, sooner or later. There was no avoiding it. And yet… who can be prepared for this? Who can be prepared to face down the son of Charles Xavier, a mutant even more powerful than his father, looking for the girl he loves?    
  
David was still a young man, only just out of his teens, but he was in some ways even less equipped for the world owing to how much of his youth he spent locked up in laboratories. The last few years of his life had seen him go through a crash course in life, and Erik could see it in his eyes. Charle’s son was almost all grown up.    
  
Erik shuffled to the side of his throne-like chair, a sense of nervousness coming over him. It was not easy to phase Magneto, master of metal, especially on his home turf. Before him, in his House of M, in his chambers, stood David Haller - Legion, one of the most unpredictable Omega level mutants on the planet. Flanking Magneto were two powerful telepaths standing silently - Psylocke, and Monet St. Croix, with three of the Cuckoos somewhere in the back playing a game of Cards Against Humanity.    
  
“Come on,” said David, in the scottish accent he’d picked up growing up on Muir Island, “Will ye do me a favour here. Just tell me where me Da is, and I’ll be out of your helmet.”    
  
“Charles is not here. I explained to you already, he is on a Diplomatic mission the details of which citizens outside of the Quiet Council or Krakoan Intelligence are not privvy to.”   
  
David slapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Right so, laddy. I know ye’re not going to give me a seat on the council, so sign me up for your spy team. I’m real good at that sort of intrigue, did ye hear about my escapades in London not long ago? Me and Pete Wisdom go way back, so we do.”   
  
Erik planted his face in his hand. “I know what you’re here for, David. We can’t give you Blindfold and a nice little homestead together. Until the situation changes, no precogs are allowed on Krakoa.”    
  
“I don’t think she’s your to  _ give  _ either way. You’re acting all high and mighty over your subjects there, King Erik. Why are there no precogs allowed on Krakoa, again?”   
  
“That information is not privvy to citizens outside of the Quiet Council - “   
  
“Yeah yeah yeaaah. Ye could bring her back if ye wanted, since you have that nasty bugger Mr. Sinister around the back of your gaff now, I’m sure ye could have him edit that bit out.”   
  
“Some mutants have exceedingly complicated power sets and we’re not even always sure they’re fully compatible with the resurrection process. It will take some time - “   
  
“Put yerself in my shoes. Actually, put yerself in your own shoes from a few weeks back -”   
  
“Stop it, child -”    
  
“I bet ye were BAWLING over me Pa, right? I hear things around the Island, hard not to. Heard about that sword ye keep - “    
  
“Insolent child!” said Erik, blushing, beginning to rise in his seat. This was the real danger of David, his ability to get under your skin. Kwannon’s finger hand tightened on her sword, ever so slightly. Monet continued to look bored.    
  
“Haw. Hit a sore spot did we?”   
  
“If you would allow me to finish, I said there were no precogs on Krakoa, and cannot be for the foreseeable future - pardon the pun. You’re only allowed here because Miss Frost confirmed you have no precognitive alters in that keppy of yours. And of course, additional security measures -” he said, gesturing to his sides and peering behind him - “what are you girls doing in the back?”   
  
“Nothing bad, sir    
, just playing a game    
to pass the time.”    
  
Said Mindee, Sophie and Esme, in not-quite-perfect unison, as Sophie and Mindee knew Esme had an extra card in her hands but were waiting for the right moment to bring it up. Sophie in particular could be a bit of a rules lawyer. The card was “Tony Stark’s nasal hair trimmer.”    
  
“Sigh. This does not, however, necessarily imply there is no chance, say, that you may not find Miss Aldine  _ elsewhere _ .”    
  
“She’s dead. If ye cannae bring her back, I doubt she just got up on her own.”    
  
Magneto raised a hand. “All but Mr. Haller leave the room. Now. Wait outside. No peeking. Or using any Super Hearing, Miss St. Croix.”   
  
“Look, I’ve a lot of sympathy for David due to what I’ve been through, but you know how he can get.”    
  
“I’m aware. Nonetheless.”    
  
“Seems unwise. But I trust Magneto’s instincts.” retorted Kwannon.    
  
“Thank you, Psylocke.” 

  
The two mindguards left the room, followed by the Cuckoos who had hastily gathered up their cards and were looking none too pleased about it.   
  
“Magneto sir, Esme was cheating -” said Celeste, before being punched in the arm by Esme.   
  
“I am not your Dungeon Master, I don’t care. Run along girls. Thank you for your service.”  
  
Erik’s chambers were quiet before, but without the faint shuffling of the girls in the background or Monet occasionally clearing her throat, the atmosphere fell more still and dead than before.   
  
“Miss Aldine did not die. Not precisely.”   
  
“ _What?”_ _  
_ _  
_“You’re more than aware of her brother, Luca, and how heavily he resisted death. So… Miss Aldine died, yet she is not dead. There was a switch, and her body was placed in secure location for safe keeping. You see, it was necessary to protect her from the imminent threats she reported back to us. After extensive analysis, it was found the best way was for her to remain ‘dead’ until the paradigm had shifted to the point where these predicted futures were not possible. Upon that point, she was removed from stasis and a psychic… jolt was provided which kickstarted her own internal resurrection process. No need for the Five. Quite remarkable, actually..”  
  
“Did she know about this? Or was this more of you and me Da’s conniving behind everyone’s backs, deciding what’s best for them?”   
  
“Perhaps it’s time for you to go ask her the details herself. But be warned. She is off the radar somewhat, likely hiding her mutant status. Unfortunately she is… not yet fully recovered, and may have regressed somewhat. There’s a small chance she may not fully remember her time with you. Immediately, I mean.”   
  
“How do I know if ye’re telling the - wait a wee minute… Findle?”   
  
David wrinkled his brows, concentrated, and the phantasmal appearance of a strange goblin-like humanoid, connected with a whipsy psionic umbilical cord-like flow of energy.   
  
“Findle… can you find her? Can you find Ruth Aldine?”   
  
“R-ight…”   
  
  
David stared at his wrist(which did not have a watch) for a number of seconds. Findle then returned, and whispered in David’s ear.   
  
“Hmm? Really? That’s where. Alright. Sorry there Erik, ye old git, decided it was best to check for myself in case you gave me a wrong place, that leads to the back of some van or the like.”  
  
“I have no reason to trick or subdue you, so long as you are no threat to Krakoa. As long as you do not attempt to bring Ms Aldine here, everything will be fine.”   
  
“As you wish, your Lordship. Here, I’ll be off then.” said David, bowing ever so slightly in a sarcastic manner, before turning around, folding up his legs and floating out of Magneto’s chambers.  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  


As David floated on his merry way, in his meditative pose, his pale skin and foot tall hair glistening ever so slightly in the Krakoan afternoon sunlight, he noticed someone leaning on the wall of the House of M. Her skin cerulean blue and hair red like rubies, there was no mistaking who this ways; Raven Darkholme, better known as Mystique.   
  
Mystique launched herself from her slouch, made eye contact with David and immediately made his way towards him.   
  
“ _Haller._ ”   
  
Even without trying to read her mind, the hostility from Mystique felt almost oppressive, even towards one as powerful and capable as David.   
  
“Ah, Raven.” he stuttered. He dropped his legs down, feeling almost pompous in the presence of the woman who blamed him for the death of her lover.   
  
“It’s all _your_ fault. You took EVERYTHING -” losing herself in a moment, uncharacteristically on the verge of tears, Mystique struck David’s face. To her surprise, she let him. But then, she realised; she had been sucked into his mindscape. It mimicked the world around at first, but flowed more and more, like a Van Gogh painting melting around them.  
  
“Raven. I’m sorry.”   
  
“Right. It wasn’t you, it was the Shadow King. That’s what they told me. You had nothing to do with it. How _convenient_. How do I know she’s not still in there? I should cut you open and look inside.”  
  
Mystique snarled, attempting to regain her composure.   
  
“I don’t understand. Surely they brought her back?”  
  
“You KNOW well they haven’t! I know why you came here. I know what you asked. But it’s worse than that - the agreement for my help, which they could not have founded the nation without, was to make her an exception. But they have put it off, and off, telling me it will take time to find a solution. And now they have consolidated their power, I’m trapped. I’m no longer in a position where recanting my support, where acting against them is likely to succeed.”  
  
“I. Wow, that sucks. I guess we’re in a similar position at the end of the day.”

  
“I’m going to regret this, but… David Haller, I will  _ help _ you. I don’t know what words you exchanged with Erik, but I know why you came here and who you want to find. You will need my help.”    
  
“Y-wha? Why?”    
  
“Because, it should be plainly obvious, if they do not intend to bring back Destiny, I will need allies to act against them. Now I’ve had my outburst, I must get back to my plan. I knew about you and Ms. Aldine, so I prepared for you coming. I knew you still felt guilt over what happened to Irene. I knew you also wouldn’t see fully eye to eye with Erik or your father on their designs for this place.I knew I could use all this to my advantage. You alone as an ally, even a reluctant one, gives me leverage. There, does that sound selfish and archetypically  _ Mystique _ to you?”    
  
“So the public outburst, was that all just a front, too?”    
  
“I have been known to lose myself in character.”    
  
“Hmm. Well, I don’t know why I’d need help knowing where she is, but you’re right, I do owe you a debt, if only for my weakness in caving in to the Shadow King. Alright, we’ll help each other. Shake on it?”    
  
David reached out a hand - a hand she knew wasn’t physical, but somehow felt symbolically more real. Mystique held out her white-gloved hand, took David’s in hers, and cringing slightly, shook it.    
  
“Great. So, we’re off to London then.”    
  
  
  
It was a cold morning in Marble Arch, and a busy one for a small cafe on North Row, just up front Hyde Park. Everyone was talking about the New Captain Britain -    
  
“Is Mutant Captain “Britain” Betsy Braddock Behind Brexit Backlash? Heh, looks like we had a Daily Mail reader in, Ruth.” said Susan, one of the Baristas on duty. “What’s this bloody country coming to, eh? You sure picked a great time to move here.”   
  
“I’ve been here a couple months now. Yes, thank you. I’m used to it. Honestly I hear it’s much worse outside of the city. I know it’s a little privileged of me, but I’m just thankful to be safe. No, not now. Goodbye.”   
  
Susan smiled. She’d gotten used to Ruth, even if she was a bit of an odd child. She seemed quite young though - fresh out of secondary school, most likely. She didn’t seem to make much in the way of reference to friends or family, and seemed to keep to herself in a flat over a Lebanese place up New Cavendish street. She had seen her with this odd gentleman in a suit and sunglasses, however, was that her father?    
  
“I’m taking a half day today. I have a doctor’s appointment later. My shift is nearly over. No, not like that, sorry. I’m going to clean up and have a think in the bathroom, if that’s alright.”    
  
“Sure thing, love,” said Susan, who was used to covering for Ruth’s infamous “thinks”. She was a good worker outside of that, so she was happy to help.   
  
Ruth lifted up the flap so she could make her way behind her counter, passing the array of fresh scones and crumpets. She remembered she’d offered to try and cook her mother’s Hummingbird cake that she used to make for her every other Sunday, but every time she tried to recall the recipe. So many things in her head were there, but not quite there. She was getting better, but real slow.    
  
Before she knew it, she was in the bathroom. She left her cane to lean against the wall, carefully(she didn’t want to bother them with putting in something more convenient, like), and placed her face down in the sink. She untied the bandage from her head, and began to wash her face. Things were going well, she thought. She didn’t have all her memories back yet, but she knew she was in a really bad place before now. Despite her new life being rather small and dreary in some way, she felt a great sense of relief, as if she’d dodged a bullet or overcome a terrible trial she never expected to pass. Granted, it would have been nice if she had been positioned somewhere closer to home, but at least she didn’t have to learn a new language. Did learning languages quickly used to be a power of hers? Or was that Doug. Who was Doug? Sorry. Pardon me.    
  
As she dried her face with the soft towel(she bought it herself for the bathroom, since none of the towels felt right to her), she recalled the dream she’d been having lately. Was it one of those dreams? She knew she was a precog. She also knew that technically, the future didn’t exist, as such. Yet she was still able to read patterns into it, see what was probably or sometimes almost definitely going to happen. She wasn’t sure of this happening, exactly, but there was a familiar feeling man in her dreams. A man on the moon, who sat with her, staring down on the earth. His face was… in flux. More like in a regular sort of dream(which she still had too, increasingly so since her powers took a hit), but it still felt prophetic somehow. Every night, it felt like she was tearing away a veil on his visage, but there was another behind it. What sort of man wears a million masks? Or maybe the masks are wearing him. How much would you like? Yes.    
  
Done with her daily bathroom think(a lot of people say their best ideas come to them on the toilet, for Ruth at the moment, it was while washing her face, and staring at a mirror she couldn’t physically see), she went into the backroom, put on her coat, and mumbled to herself as she walked out.    
  
“Bye. Thank you. Next week. Yes.”    
  
Done with her daily bathroom-think, it was time for Ruth’s daily walk-ponder. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
From the Hyde Park Krakoan gate, two figures emerged. Security was up, as expected, but the pair came prepared.   
  
“Oh, Mr. Wisdom. You’re back in our part of the city.”    
  
‘Mr Wisdom’ pointed two fingers to his side at the attending soldier, as he walked purposefully forward.   
  
“Remember, I wasn’t here.”    
  
“Oh, of course sir.”    
  
“Just escorting this former member of my little organisation back from the glorious mutant homeland, if you don’t mind. You all remember Micromax, right? Everyone remembers Micromax? Good. Lovely stuff. Come on, Micromax.”    
  
A rather uncomfortably looking buff mutant man coughed and strutted alongside Pete. The two walked to a secluded area in the park, behind some trees, and reverted to their natural forms. “Pete’s” skin flickered into a bluer hue, and “Micromax” rippled and distorted until it revealed the form of one David Haller.

  
“What on earth was that? I thought you were a master of the bluff skill.”    
  
“I’m not in the best of places right now, David.” snarled Mystique. “You said you were using your telepathic powers of persuasion.”   
  
“Aye, Jedi mind tricks work better with a convincing line, though. And I could have just teleported us right here, you know?”   
  
“Sure. But I prefer to get personally involved in your power set as humanly possibly. Don’t want to end up becoming  _ part of it. _ My own daughter absorbed me more than once, who knows what you’ll do?”    
  
“Uh, right, sure. Anyway, cheers for the illusion power, Kaleidopope,” said David, giving a salute to apparently nobody and nothing.    
  
“How does that work, anyway? Didn’t you used to have some sort of little device for tapping into those things?”   
  
“Ah yes, I should really get them to make a new one. But I’m on good terms with most of them right now, and otherwise, I’ve gotten pretty good at grabbing them if I’m uncooperative or in a hurry. The bigger ones elude me at the moment though, so don’t worry. No reality warping for young David today.”    
  
“Just… don’t do anything too weird without letting me know. Anyone, I didn’t pluck that disguise out of nowhere. Being on the quiet council lets me find out things you can’t. The reason why Ruth’s been stashed away here is mostly because Pete Wisdom owed Charles Xavier a favour.”    
  
“Ah, I was just telling Erik I was mates with Pete. What sort of favour?”    
  
Mystique blinked. “I’m not giving out high grade blackmail material just like that.”    
  
“Alright, alright Raven. Let’s go see Ruth. Now I’ve got the heads up about me old mate Pete though, do I really need you all that much? No offense.”    
  
“She won’t remember you, David.”    
  
David’s state became vacant and blank. “What?”    
  
“Like I said, I’m on the Quiet Council. It makes it easier to get access to things. I’ve read Cecilia’s file, and Jean’s file. She hasn’t properly put herself back together yet. She’s regressed, probably to before a time when she remembers you. Nobody knows exactly how that works yet, so they’re keeping an eye on her. But David, there were times when Irene got lost, I think I can help -”   
  
“No. No! You’re lying. That makes no sense. When she joined with her brother, she became complete, powerful. He put himself back from just a pair of eyeballs! There’s no way Ruth would be still struggling to fix herself.”    
  
“Look, take it from me. Recovery isn’t always linear. Everyone looks at me and sees some untrustworthy villain they only deal with when they have to. Not to excuse them, but my actions are driven by my trauma, my pain. I’m sure you can understand that.”    
  
“I get it. But. Urgh...”    
  
Legion grabbed his head in his hands.   
  
“If it’s true, I probably shouldn’t see her. I’m dangerous. I pulled a similar trick to her. I wiped almost all of myself out of existence to avoid a bad future, but somehow I came back, and it never came to pass. I stayed away after that. Or I was kept away. I’m not sure.We’re entangled, we are, but maybe not that’s not a good thing.”   
  
Mystique grimaced, and growled, her face contorted by severe impatience, and pain.    
  
“I don’t need you to have a crisis of conscience here, Haller. I’m not here for my health, or out of the goodness of my cold blue heart. I said I’d help you, and I  _ need _ your help. Ruth has the same powers as Irene, and as far as we know she’s descended from her. I need to see her. If I can then I can figure out how to…”    
  
Mystique pushed up against David with her white gloved hands, feebly, aware of her powerlessness.    
  
“Please, David. Whether it was your fault or not, you were part of what took Irene away from me. Ruth may be precious to you but… she was important to Irene too. If nothing else, there’s some sliver of her in Ruth. I want to protect her almost as much as you do, but I don’t trust the council on this. We need to see her for ourselves. We’re not monsters, David. Or at least not just that. And right now I trust us - yes, even you, more than I trust Charles. There’s something odd going on. Erik admitted there was a rule against precogs. Doesn’t that seem weird to you?”   
  
“Aye.. he told me the same. You’re right. I’m in control of myself a lot more than I used to be. We should see her.”    
  
Mystique twiddled a holographic wrist device David only now noticed she was sporting, twisting it until it projected an image of Ruth, in luminous translucent red.   
  
“Alright. Here’s what I know. Ruth Aldine, alias Blindfold. ‘Died’ to avoid a bad future, in actuality never quite fully passed and briefly kept in isolation until everything was in place for Krakoa. Unfortunately the trauma of death and resuscitation via the powers she took back from brother caused some sort of trauma none of the big brains could quite understand.”    
  
The projection zoomed in to Ruth’s head, and transformed into an active brain scan.   
  
“Now I’m no neurologist. But a number of Krakoa’s best took a look at her, since like you nobody quite understands the full extent of what she’s capable of. Here’s the interesting one -”    
  
Mystique flicked through a series of documents, projected into the air, until she found the one she was looking for.   
  
“By Dr. James Bradley.”    
  
“You mean Dr. Nemesis!”    
  
Mystique sighed. “By Dr. Nemesis. He was particularly interested in Ruth and her brother’s biological resuscitation capabilities. It seemed to go beyond a mere healing factor, though unlike a healing factor doesn’t seem to trigger under normal circumstances. I think either they brought it to him or he brought it to their attention. I don’t know the exact timeline here, but I suspect whatever those Island eggheads are up to, the reason the Council are keeping Ruth around is less to do with Ruth as a person and more to do with her potentially being the next step beyond the resurrection protocol.”    
  
“Would… would Dad really do that? No, you’re right. I wouldn’t put it past him. But wait… you just want the same thing don’t you?”    
  
“I don’t know if she can David, she’s been dead for a long time. The Aldines’ power seems to only activate upon the time of death itself. But you might be able to, especially with her. I think Irene left a part of her with her as she did with you. Either that, or I ask Jamie Braddock or one of the reality manipulators and… that might be a bit last resort.”    
  
“So given the fact that I’m among those ranks from time to time, that’s why you’re making cosy with me too. Playing my guilt against me. I suppose I can’t blame ye.”   
  
Mystique snorted. “Maybe. Does it matter? Anyway, I’m not going to treat her like a lab subject. I’m long past that nonse. I’ll  _ ask _ her. I think with enough training, she can regain her powers and then some. You and her, David, you’re wild cards. They’re scared of you. Ruth might be even worse for them. She’s not as powerful as you, but she could be more consistent. With precognition and the potential for resurrection, she could form her own mini Krakoan type society.”    
  
“Or you mean  _ you _ could, why on earth would Ruth want to do something like that? But if she can help keep Dad in check then maybe… yeah, we should go find her either way.”    
  
“Right. Well, if I’ve convinced you… we need to find Pete Wisdom. Or more like, he’ll be finding us, since he’ll know it was me.”    
  
“Oh… I thought by you saying you could help me, it might involve sneaking into MI:13 or the like.”    
  
“God no. That’s too much effort for today. I’m just going to blackmail him.”    
  
  


  
  
  
Pete Wisdom, mutant spy pride of MI6 and MI13, was elsewhere in the city - on a bench in front of a small park in Hammersmith sweeping crumbs from his lap, having just finished a cornish pasty. Coincidentally - or perhaps not so coincidentally, as the girl was taking up far too much of his time lately - he was going through the latest notes he had taken on Blindfold. He called in for a coffee there on the regular, and paid particular attention to her speech pattern.   
  
Because of the damage done to her psyche by her brother, she had a rather disordered manner of speaking, something of a signature trait for her. Usually polite little nothings such as “No, thank you. Pardon?”, which had all but disappeared from her manner when she took back her powers. Now, however, it seemed that she had burned out those powers for the time being, and much of her memories, and her speech pattern had reverted with it. There were some inconsistencies, however - subtle changes in her manner had become to work their way in, almost like another voice trying to pop through.   
  
Pete pinched the bridge of his nose. Babysitting was not on his list of many skills, but unfortunately it was a request from the great Charles Xavier. With an increasing level of interest in the mystical side of things, Krakoan Intelligence had compiled a vast amount of information on various anomalies potentially useful to MI:13, and had shared and promised the continuation of said sharing with him in exchange for keeping this girl safe and watched. “This girl could be the key to the next stage, or our downfall” yadda yadda, the bloke loved his meandering speeches.   
  
As soon as he pulled out a second pasty, mouth open in anticipation, there was a siren-like alert from his phone.   
  
“Bollocks,” he grumbled, tucking the pastie back in the little paper bag it came in. He grabbed the phone and flicked through it. It was a security notice, asking him to verify his presence at the Hyde Park Krakoan gate.  
  
“Double bollocks. Big hairy double bollocks poking out of a pair of broken bloomers.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Alright, Ruth, thanks for coming in today. How have you been holding up, love?”   
  
“I’m alright, Doctor Hussein. Just the usual hiccups. Thank you. Yes.”   
  
“Any… unusual visions? Any seizures or episodes?”  
  
“No. Pardon. I would have called you if I had any seizures. They seem to have cleared up. But I still have gaps in my memory. Yes.”   
  
“Glad to hear it. The lack of seizures, I mean. Not the memories.”   
  
There was a bit of an awkward silence.   
  
“So… do you think I’m well enough to go to Krakoa with the rest of the mutants? I bet they could help me real good there… no offense Doctor Hussein.”   
  
Faiza Hussein placed a finger on the side of her face, and tilted her head to one side. “Ruth, your recovery has been remarkable, both physically and psychologically. But we were told to keep check on you here. I’m really sorry I can’t tell you more about your situation, but they only told me so much. Being a mutate myself, I've been studying quite a lot about mutant physiology. I’m in contact with Doctor Rao and the others. They’ve been telling me something about Krakoa’s psychic field, and how it feeds off latent psychic energy from those living on it. I’ve been sending them back reports, and they tell me your patterns are still anomalous and could cause issues.”   
  
“Oh… I must be the only mutant in the world that can’t go to Krakoa…”   
  
“Oh, I don’t reckon so. And you know me. I love my heroic types! I’d love to go there and meet all the X-men and see all the super science there. Though I’m not sure they’d like someone whose power is to cross section living things on their living island. It came in handy, though, when they needed someone to keep a check on exactly what was happening inside that body of yours. Maybe they’ll appreciate my help in helping one of theirs, and when you’re well and ready, we’ll both go there for a visit, hey? Don’t tell anyone, but I’m mates with the Braddocks, I’m sure they’ll get us in.”  
  
Ruth smiled a little. While she would have related better to a mutant doctor, Faiza had a better bedside manner than a lot of those she’d known when she was with the X-men.   
  
_Bzzt. Bzzt._  
  
“Hang on, I’m getting an emergency text.”  
  
Faiza took out a rather bulky white smartphone(the extra large battery model - don’t want it to run out if people are relying on you in emergencies!) and opened up her messages.   
  
“Urgh. Ruth, I need you to stay here for a little while if that’s alright with you. Don’t go anywhere. I have to step out.”   
  
Faiza adjusted her hijab and hurried out the door, walking expediently, hands in pockets, down the hall of the clinic where she worked. Standing around impatiently in a waiting room near the entrance was Pete Wisdom, arms crossed brow furrowed.   
  
“We have a situation.”   
  
“Oh? Come on, the Empty Surgery is just around the corner.”  
  
Pete and Faiza went into a currently out of use Doctor’s surgery that was apparently in the middle of being renovated. It was one of the rooms that conveniently had some degree of sound proof padding(and anti-psionic enchantments), which MI 13 had absolutely nothing to do with the installation of. There was an old poster on the wall, “MGH: Not even once!”   
  
“Apparently, I was seen about 35 minutes ago passing through the Hyde Park entrance, with my mate Scott Wright. Scott Bloody Wright who’s currently on holidays in bloody Spain.”   
  
“I’m not sure where you’re going with this, Pete, but it sounds serious. Do I need to grab the sword?”   
  
Pete grabbed the bridge of his nose.   
  
“There’s a list of people who might want access to Blindfold. Near the top of the list, is one Raven Darkholme. Wife of Ruth’s great-grandma. Raven, who is better known as the mutant shapeshifter Mystique.”  
  
“Oh, that sounds bad!”   
  
“Thing is, Raven’s meant to be on the quiet council. Her attempts over the years at going straight - pardon the pun - seem to have paid off for her finally. But obviously, I liaise pretty closely with the council and I’ve heard nothing of this. So my thinking is - either she’s gone rogue, which is so much Mystique’s thing she literally named her Daughter that - or something else is going on here. Or both, because that’s my luck.”   
  
“Any idea who the second shapeshifter could be?”   
  
“Shapeshifters often have too much sense to work with other shapeshifters. But I suspect it’s not a shapeshifter at all. Call it a hunch, but I think it’s David.”   
  
“Have they worked together in the past?”  
  
“No, far as I know, it’s David who _killed_ the great grandmama, albeit while being possessed by the Shadow King. It happened on our turf somewhat, too, so there’s extra onus on us to get involved. But now with the resurrection protocols and a host of other paradigm shifts, he might be exactly the person she wants to work with. Before the inevitable backstabbing, of course. Christ, I need a smoke,” said Pete, fumbling around in his suit pocket.   
  
“I am a doctor you know, don’t make me have to literally dissect you and and rummage around in your lungs. I’ve told Ruth to sit still, and she’s a good girl. At least open a window.” .  
  
“Right,” said Pete, a cigarette in one hand, the other haphazardly reaching over to a nearby widow and twiddling the handle open.  
  
“She’s a good girl, Pete. I don’t feel good about this. There’s a lot you aren’t telling me, and I know there’s a lot Krakoa isn’t telling you. I know it’s not my place to criticise how the mutants do things as an embattled group, but as a Muslim in brexit Britain I do have an inkling. A good sense of community is what I’d prescribe for a girl like Ruth, and she’s being denied that and stashed away in an unfamiliar place.”  
  
“Oh trust me, I intend to have a few choice words with Charles Xavier. The whole reason she’s here, you know, aside from it being part of our mutual exchange of ‘favours’, is because he knew Legion would be coming for her, and I’m one of the few people that was able to successfully work with him. We’re looking at a potential Omega Level threat wandering around with one of the most notorious mutant assassins.”  
  
“Do we need to gather the rest? Should we call in other Agents? Should we call Betsy?”   
  
“I’ll have them on Standby. You don’t want to make David Haller feel cornered. I’m going to have to talk to the bastard. He’s knocked, so I better answer.”  
  
“How are you going to reach out?”   
  
Pete looked at his watch and smirked. “Don’t need to. They’ll be here any minute.”   
  
  
  
Mystique and David, in the guises of two perfectly ordinary londonites - Mystique in a dress jacket, brown ponytail and sunglasses, and David projecting the illusion of a lad who looked like who was up for a bit of a cheeky nandos, with a sweater wrapped around his waist, albeit with a wardrobe change as opposed to any psychic powers.   
  
“All I know for sure is she’s being stashed somewhere by Pete Wisdom. I don’t know her exact location, so David, will you please goddamn tell me where you’re going?”   
  
“When I checked, she was working in a coffee shop which I do believe is up the road here.”  
  
A few minutes of David beaming ahead and Mystique clicking her tongue later, and they arrived outside a coffee shop with a vague faux-rustic charm, simply titled “Cuppa”.   
  
“Right, let’s head in for one then!” said David after viewing the sign, _feeling extremely clever I’m sure_ , (thought Mystique)  
  
A bell and some wind chimes tinkled as the two entered the shop. A plump rosey cheeked blonde woman greeted them upon eye contact.  
  
“Hullo, loves! I just have to do a bit of cleaning, yeah, and I’ll be round to you in a bit.”   
  
“Lovely stuff. By the way, was there an american girl here earlier? She might work here, I’m not sure? Friend of mine, mutual told us about this place.” inquired Dave, being rather forthright. Mystique made a coy little smile at the deception.   
  
“Oh, that’ll be Ruth, the blind girl! You just missed her I’m afraid by about 40 minutes or so. She’s probably at the Doctor by now,” chriped Susan, scrubbing some sort of stubborn stain from the counter top.   
  
“Oh, really? Haven’t seen her in a few weeks and looking to catch up.”  
  
“Ah! Does she have a nice scottish lad as an admirer?”   
  
David smiled; “We’ll take our tea to go, by the way.”  
  
“ _Coffee._ I’m not having tea,” snarled Mystique.   
  
“Barrel of laughs your friend there is.” chuckled Susan. “Anyway, what’ll it be?”   
  
“Triple espresso,” said Mystique, peering over her sunglasses. _My character has a hangover_ , she thought very loudly, which David picked up on.   
  
“Regular old cup of tea for me, nice glob of milk and three sugars.”   
“Coming up!” said Susan, washing the cloth in the sink before getting to work. A couple of minutes later, she served up the warm beverages.  
  
“Ta, love!” said David. “Can see why she recommends this place. Me and the sister here will come in for a proper sit down next time when we’re in less of a rush, yeah?”   
  
Mystique elbowed David in the sides. _Sister?_ she thought, louder again this time.  
  
“Best be off,” she said out loud, in a perfect West End accent, and the two left.  
  
“What was the point in that?” spat Mystique as they left. “You didn’t even ask her where the Doctor is.”   
  
“Don’t need to. Can find anyone anywhere, remember? Anywhere in the galaxy, in fact. That’s how I knew where I was going. I have another alter that seems to be eluding me, Rose Compass, that can find them and take me right there.”   
  
“That’s absolutely terrifying.”  
  
“Oh, like most of my powers I have to wrangle it to get it to work. It’s not an always on sort of thing. Findle and I had a bit of a falling out on the way here, see. I managed to have a word with him in the time we were waiting for the tea.”  
  
Mystique rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, and you do your thing then.”   
  
“Findle the finder! Your power is mine!”   
  
Mystique put her hand on her forehead. “Not RIGHT THIS MINUTE.”  
  
David spun his finger around in the air before it settling in a specific direction, which he then proceeded to follow. “Here we go!”   
  
Mystique shivered. “I really, really am regretting this.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The door of the clinic creaked open. Pete Wisdom stood, hands in pockets, cigarette in mouth, as a familiar face poked in the door.  
  
“Hello? Anyone there?” said David, cautiously, before Mystique kicked him in the door.   
  
“Ow, what the bloody hell did you do that for! Oh hey Pete, we were looking for you. Actually, we were looking for Ruth, and I know exactly where Ruth is, but we reckoned you probably were hiding her for some reason.”   
  
“David, pleasure as always. How are you finding mutant paradise?”   
  
“It’s alright, but I don’t quite fit in. Anyway, any chance we could see Ruth?”   
  
“We know about your powerset, David. You weren’t really tracking Ruth. We caught on when you tried the first time, and now any time you try to look for her, you’ll find me instead. Or at least you did this time, since we need a talk.”   
  
“I think you’re lying, but anyways, let’s catch up?”   
  
Pete kept an eye on Mystique, ready to flare up his claws at any minute, and led them into the Empty Surgery.   
  
“This is Doctor Faiza Hussein, one of my team, who’s taken an interest in metahuman biology as of late.”   
  
“Pleasure,” she said, smiling nervously.   
  
“Susan said she was heading to the Doctor. Have you been looking after Ruth?”  
  
Unprepared, Faiza shot a glance to Pete, who answered.  
  
“She’s not here right now David. But we need to explain to you, this is a very precarious situation. You’re right, Ruth is alive, and she is in and abouts where we are now. But her situation is very fragile, and I don’t know how she’d react to you and Raven.”   
  
David kept his own eyes on Faiza, and asked; “Is it true she’s experienced some sort of regression? Or memory loss? How is she really, doctor?”  
  
“I can’t just tell you about confidential patient information -”  
  
“Ah, so she is your patient.”  
  
Mystique scowled and spoke up. “David, this is a waste of time. I told you I know how to handle Pete Wisdom.”  
  
“Ah, miss Darkholme I presume. We’re not as well acquainted I’m afraid.”  
  
“No, we’re not.”   
  
“What’s your business with Miss Aldine?”   
  
“My business is my business. It’s between me and her.”  
  
“Well, I’ll tell you what, we’ll hold onto her for a while, and if you really want a visit, we’ll see what we can arrange, maybe in a few weeks or so.”   
  
“Smells like shite.” said David, running his finger under his nose.   
  
“Mr Wisdom. As you know, I’m a member of the Quiet Council.”  
  
“I wasn’t informed by the council you’d be coming.”   
  
“An oversight, obviously. But either way,” Mystique reached into her oversized purse, and pulled out a tablet.   
  
“Do you recognise any of this, Pete?” she said, scrolling down through a series of documents and images.  
  
Pete suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. “Ahh…”  
  
Faiza was taken aback by the reaction. “Pete? What is it? What does she have?”  
  
“Does ‘Black Air’ mean anything to you, Dr. Hussein? Before his more squeaky clean line of service, in so far as his sort does that sort of thing, he was involved in all kinds of nasty business. Krakoa keeps track of these sorts of things, you see. Political leverage is important. And being on the Quiet Council, I had access to a lot of documents Pete here probably never even thought existed.”  
  
“And you’d use it against your own kind?” he said. “Oh, of course you would. That’s your whole thing, isn’t it? I know a thing or two about you too, Darkholme. Anyway, MI:13 knows all about that, and trust me, any attempt to leak that information - without the help of the likes of Sage, who I’m assuming won’t be on side with this - will get covered up before you can say Bob’s your Uncle.”  
  
Mystique took off her sunglasses, and stared right into Pete Wisdom’s eyes. “You don’t know me. Trust me. You don’t. Nobody does. Except one person, and she’s dead.”   
  
“Raven, I don’t know if I like where this is going. I want to see Ruth, but now I know she’s alive and well I’m not so desperate as to resort to this. Hmm. Pete?”  
  
Pete sighed. “David, why did you bring her here?”   
  
“Look, I’m really sorry. I got pretty desperate. I think… I think Mystique has been that way for a very long time. Please don’t hate her, it’s partly my fault we’re in this mess. Truth be told, we don’t much trust my father and think there’s something shady going on there. Maybe he means well, but he often acts against people’s best intentions.”  
  
“See, now this boy is talking my language. You should learn a thing or two from him, Mystique. Faiza seems to think there’s something shady going on here too, David. What do you have?”  
  
“Ruth isn’t allowed on Krakoa and has been left in a somewhat bedraggled state. They’re refusing, apparently, to bring back Destiny, despite consistent promises to do so. Mystique has actually done a lot for them, isn’t that right?”   
  
Mystique was silent.   
  
“Hmm. You know what, I don’t want to see the mutant homeland unraveled, but I wouldn’t mind a chance to stick it to that smug Charles. If it can’t survive a young couple being reunited, then I don’t see the problem.”  
  
“Honestly, I talked to Magneto, and he seemed to be suggesting in his roundabout way that it’s fine if it happens off the books. I think it’s just Dad being a stuffy bugger.”   
  
“Oh, well, why didn’t you say that to begin with?”   
  
“Yes, why _didn’t you_ David?”   
  
“Slipped me mind. Thought I’d told you already. Sorry, Raven.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The door creaked open. Ruth’s sensitive ears took note, and she immediately responded.  
  
“Doctor Hussein? No…”   
  
“Hi Ruth. Do you remember me? It’s David.”   
  
The walls of Faiza’s surgery were a warm beige, with deeper earthy tones making up much of the rest. There was a welcoming rather than a clinical feel to it. It was large but not so spacious as to be intimidating. The chairs were cushioned and comfortable looking. And on one in the middle of the room, was a girl with long dark hair, blindfold rapped around her head.   
  
“I… I’m not sure I know a David. Yes. No. I’d rather not. Where have you been? No, I don’t think I know you sorry.”   
  
“Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t be here. Truth be told, I might have messed things up badly again, just by being here, and by not communicating well with a very scary woman. Do you know Raven? Blue skin, can’t turn your back on her.”   
  
“I know Mystique, yes. I remember… Irene remembers. She remembers in me, and I think she remembers in you. Little fragments of memories, like shooting stars falling from the sky, broken up from a larger whole, scattered...”   
  
“Ruth, you know you lost a bunch of your memories? I’m a telepath. Would ye mind if I took I look in your head?”   
  
David moved closer to Ruth, placing his hand just above her head, reluctantly pulling it back. This Ruth didn’t remember him yet, not entirely. She wasn’t quite his Ruth, so it wasn’t his place to do anything but entirely cautiously.  
  
“I think I can. I can feel your hand. It’s not quite touching but it’s shadow is. Your shadow feels familiar. I think you’re that man with the many faces.”  
  
“More like… many men with the same face. Though some can change the face too. It’s pretty barmy. I’m what you call a system, though I work a bit differently to other multiple folks because of the whole mutant thing - ”   
  
“Yes, that’s right. That is what you are. David? David. I don’t remember you, but I know you. Please. Take a look.”  
  
Ruth grabbed David’s hand, almost instinctively knowing where it was, and placed it on her head. David felt goosebumps, and a warm sensation he had not experienced in the longest time. The warm tones of the room wrapped around him, enveloping him in an embrace, as he was accepted into the mind of Ruth Aldine, grand daughter of Destiny.   
  
“David. David?” spoke a voice. The walls around David looked much the same as the walls of the room - Faiza’s surgery having become a familiar space for her now, where she felt safe, but it was larger, almost intimidatingly so. And it wasn’t a Doctor’s surgery, but a house. An idealised version of the home she grew up in? 

  
Ruth’s form appeared at the back of the room, staring at the floor. She was wearing the dark dress and purple shawl she used to wear, looking like some kind of fantastical apparition.    
  
“Ruth. It’s me. Do you remember now?”    
  
“There’s part of me missing, David. I don’t remember you yet. I only remember your name because you told me. But I know you. I know you.”    
  
David floated over to her, and put his phantasmal hands on her shoulders.    
  
“What part of you is missing, Ruth?”    
  
Ruth began to cry, from where her eyes weren’t. Or did she have eyes now? And how did Ruth see herself on the inside as she is? David wasn’t sure. He felt like something of him might have gotten misplaced, too. Ruth raised her head to meet David’s eyeline.   
  
“It’s a part of me that’s in you, maybe. Sorry, I can’t today perhaps later. And a part of you was left in me. I remember one thing, it’s part of how you came back. And there’s a part of her in both of us, too.”   
  
“Irene?”    
  
“Irene Irene… Thank you, yes. What was Necrosha? I think I knew an Irene. She gave me part of something she couldn’t finish giving to you. Two halves that make a whole, but that whole is but an echo. But the parts of us that are missing, are not.”    
  
“I don’t know whether you’re speaking metaphorically or not. I think… I’ve been in a lot of therapy, and I know it’s not healthy to have another person to complete you. I honestly get the sense…”    
  
David looked around the room, and then at Ruth. “You’re not too bad off without me.”    
  
Ruth’s head dropped to the floor again.   
  
“But… we’re the best versions of ourselves with each other. Some would say that I have many selves, but the self I’ve always liked best, is the one I am with you.”    
  
David and Ruth wrapped their arms around each other, and began to glow with a powerful, radiant light. A couple of David’s kinder alters looked on from the stairs above, seemingly cheering him on, along with Cyndi who made a mock gagging motion.    
  
David and Ruth came back in the material plane, in each other’s arms.    
  
“I missed you. I didn’t even remember you all that much, but I missed you like I can’t describe.”    
  
“You too, Ruthie. And I meant what I said. You were never broken or incomplete.”    
  
She ran her hand down his face, slowly and intimately.   
  
“Neither are you, David. The rest of them think they’re strange, but that we’re the strange amongst the strange. We might need help sometimes, but I think you know as well as I do we don’t need fixing. They might not understand us…”   
  
“And sometimes we don’t understand one another…”    
  
“But we’re two idiots that awkwardly stumbled into each other’s lives and I wouldn’t change that for the world.”    
  
And then, for the first time in a long time, David and Ruth kissed, and everything felt right once more. An aura of hope, of pure possibility, emanated from them.    
  
And it rippled.   
  
Ten miles away, a patient in a coma miraculously awoke. Fifteen miles away, a man who was about to walk out on his husband suddenly remembered why he fell in love with him in the first place. Twenty miles away, a postal work remembered where they put a package containing the birthday present of a young girl her impoverished family saved for a year to afford.   
  
And nearby...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
In the Empty Surgery, Mystique stared at her watch(which Pete thought, was probably made of her own flesh, and it weirded him out a bit, but probably did not weird out Faiza) and became increasingly anxious.  
  
“I want my turn.”   
  
“Easy, miss. They’re friends and lovers. You barely know her, only fair that he gets to see her first. And all of MI:13 is on stand by should you try anything.”  
  
“I already handed you all the damn files, Pete. Every copy I have.”   
  
“I’m sure.”   
  
Suddenly, Mystique went catatonic, falling to the ground. Faiza rushed to catch her impromptu patient.  
  
“Hello, Raven.”   
  
“Irene? Irene, is that you? You were… were you hiding in her all along? Or in Legion?”  
  
“I cannot answer you if you have any questions. This is just a vision, a recording if you will. Raven, I’m about to die. If you are hearing this message, something has come to pass that was fuzzy even in my visions. What it means is this, and this is all I will tell you: Raven, there is hope. It is not a guarantee, but there is hope. Make of that what you will. I don’t know whether the Island will give me back. Wheels within Celestial Wheels, they turn now more than ever. But whether it does or not… if you keep fighting, we will meet again. I love you, my wife. I will not say Goodbye. I suspect there have been too many Goodbyes already, and we have entered the age of Welcome Back.”  
  
Mystique came to, sprawled out on a bed, tears in her eyes.  
  
“Raven, what’s wrong?”  
  
“Welcome back, you old bat. I’ll see you soon.”   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
